OC Sheriff Explains His Stance On Masks As Death Toll Spikes

SANTA ANA, CA — The Orange County Health Care Agency Thursday reported 26 COVID-19 fatalities and 1,292 new coronavirus cases, along with an uptick in hospitalizations.

Nine of the fatalities reported Thursday involved skilled nursing facility residents.

The number of hospitalized patients increased from 679 on Wednesday to 691, and the number of patients in intensive care rose from 234 to 236.

The county's coronavirus death toll now stands at 402, and the cumulative number of cases rose to 21,517.

"The numbers are going to stay high for the next seven days," Orange County CEO Frank Kim told City News Service on Tuesday.

The rise in infections was expected as officials relaxed restrictions on economic activity, he said, while noting there has been a significant rise in infections in the 25-to-34 age group.

"They're number one with a bullet," Kim said.

He said that the trend of younger patients might explain why the intensive-care unit figure has not risen as much as hospitalizations.

"They do end up in a hospital, but not in the ICU, so that is a conclusion you could draw, but we don't know yet that is true," Kim said, adding that it is difficult to determine because officials lack the data.

"When people are bad, they don't admit their poor behavior" to contact tracers, Kim said, referring to risky behavior such as partying with friends and refusing to wear a mask.

Since the pandemic began, 1,284 of the county's infections were from skilled nursing facilities, 420 were from the county's jails, and 116 were transients.

Of those who died, 203 were from skilled nursing facilities, 14 were from assisted living facilities and two were transients.

In the county's jails, 394 of the 420 infected since the pandemic began have recovered, but 26 are in medical isolation with symptoms and authorities are awaiting results of 110 tests.

County officials reported that they have performed 288,996 COVID-19 tests, with 9,452 documented recoveries.

The county's case and hospitalization rate has kept it on the state's watch list, which will continue to prevent the county from reopening inside dining at restaurants and bars, among other businesses that were closed to help tamp down the surge of infections.

The county's case rate rose from 237.9 Wednesday to 245, much higher than the state's preferred target of 25 per 100,000. The rate of testing positive for COVID-19 rose dipped from 14.9% to 14.3%, higher than the state threshold of 8%.

The county's intensive care unit beds available nudged up from 39.6% to 36.9%, better than the state standard of 20%.

The percent of ventilators available decreased from 65.8% Wednesday to 64.5%, much better than the state standard of 25%.

The change in the three-day average of increased hospitalized patients bumped up from 9.4% to 9.6%, just under the 10% state standard.

Kim said hospital officials told him as recently as Friday that while they are still preparing for a surge, they are not sounding any alarms about being able to handle the increases in patients.

"For sure they're managing bed capacity, but they didn't seem freaked out," he said.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, who has been criticized for telling the Board of Supervisors that his department would not be "the mask police," sent a letter on Tuesday to Gov. Gavin Newsom regarding enforcement.

Newsom has established "strike teams" of inspectors from state agencies who will fan out and enforce the state's guidelines regarding social distancing and face coverings.

Barnes said in his letter, "I want to make clear that I support wearing face coverings in accordance with recommendations by our public health officials." He also emphasized that on "numerous occasions," he has reinforced the message of "the importance of abiding by health guidelines."

But Barnes said his "enforcement strategy" is "based on education, not punishment. While these comments have been portrayed as being in conflict with health orders, I believe they complement California's efforts to address the virus."

Erin Mellon, a spokeswoman for Newsom, said the letter has been received and that Newsom's staff was "reviewing" it.

City News Service